Red Crackle Quartz
Red Crackle Quartz is a Gem that, similar to Pink Howlite, was accidentally dyed by Rose Quartz. She disappeared near the end of the Rebellion, and her fate is unknown. Appearance Red Crackle Quartz, being made a Herkimer Diamond, is taller and thinner than the average Quartz. Her gemstone is on the back of her right hand. She has a round nose and thick eyelashes. Original Before becoming Red Crackle Quartz, Herkimer Diamond was no different from other Gems of her type. Her skin was white, her eyes lacked pupils or irises, and she had no mouth at all. Her hair was pale gray and done up in a pointed beehive. She wore a two-toned, sleeveless gray top with a white diamond on the front, along with light gray leggings and darker gray, thigh-high boots that each had a white diamond on the top. Modified/Current After her modification, Red Crackle Quartz's stature and hairstyle didn't change. However, she now has a mouth with full lips, and her eyes have pupils and red irises. Her hair is a dull raspberry red. Her skin has a few faint, scarlike cracks, most notably under her right eye and around her gemstone. Immediately after being modified, she wore a red and pink version of her original uniform. At some point shortly after, however, she regenerated and her outfit changed. She now wears a bright red top with a dark red vest and belt, crimson leggings, and dark red boots. Personality As a Crystal Gem, Red Crackle Quartz showed a fondness for the life on Earth, be it the native organic life or the off-colors that chose to stay and fight for it. She showed some level of care for the lives of all Gems, regardless of which side they were on, but she also believed that, during war, morals had to take a back seat to doing everything possible to win. During the Rebellion, many of her opponents disappeared and have not been found, shards or otherwise. History Red Crackle Quartz was originally a Herkimer Diamond, made to serve a particular Howlite. Similar to another Herkimer Diamond, she loyally served her Howlite for millennia prior to the Rebellion. When Howlite was sent to Earth to confront Rose Quartz, her Herkimer Diamond went with her. To make her easier to restrain and hypnotize, the Quartz attempted to drain a portion of her strength. This caused her to be dyed just like the Howlite she served. The transformations shocked her to the point that she abandoned her Howlite in fright. Despite her initial shock, Red Crackle Quartz took her modification well, and came to embrace her new form. Rather than attempt to inform Homeworld of what happened--an action which would have undoubtedly ended in her shattering--she chose to join the Crystal Gems and fight for Earth's freedom. She was believed by Homeworld and Crystal Gems alike to be a defective Carnelian from the Beta Kindergarten, and her true origins were unknown to everyone except herself and Rose Quartz. She disappeared near the end of the Rebellion. The remaining Crystal Gems have no evidence that she is dead or alive, but presume she was shattered. Abilities As an Era 1 Gem, Red Crackle Quartz has standard Gem abilities. Her modification has caused her to form a physical mouth--typical for most Gems, but unusual for a Herkimer Diamond--allowing her to speak. Skillsets * Shield Proficiency: Red Crackle Quartz can summon and use a shield, which she received from her modification. It is durable, though nowhere near as durable as Rose Quartz's. * Exceptional Strength: Despite being weaker than the average Quartz, she still is stronger than the average Gem; in addition, her strength was bolstered slightly by her modification. Unique Abilities * Phytokinesis: An ability she received from her modification, Red Crackle Quartz can manipulate plant life to some degree, mostly by using it as a tool or weapon. * Speed of Descent Regulation: An ability she received from her modification. Similar to Rose Quartz and Steven Universe, she can alter the effect of gravity on herself, allowing her to control how high she can jump and how quickly (or slowly) she falls back to the ground. * Empathic Telepathy: Similar to Steven Universe, Red Crackle Quartz can sense and connect with others. However, the extent and limitations of this ability are not known. Former Abilities and Tools * Strength Absorption: As a Herkimer Diamond, Red Crackle Quartz could absorb a portion of a Gem's physical strength and temporarily make it her own. It was the use of this power on Rose Quartz that caused her modification; ironically, it was said modification that caused her to lose it. Relationships The Crystal Gems Red Crackle Quartz was on good terms with most of the original Crystal Gems, including Rose Quartz herself. However, she was increasingly frustrated with the code of honor imposed by Rose Quartz and many of the other Crystal Gems. Pink Howlite Red Crackle Quartz was made for, and loyally served, Pink Howlite for thousands of years. However, they lost contact after their modifications, and the two wouldn't be on good terms if they did meet again due to their different viewpoints. Trivia * Similar to Pink Howlite and Mojave Turquoise, Red Crackle Quartz's modified status reflects the fact that crackle quartz is a treated gemstone. * Red Crackle Quartz was originally intended to have veinlike fractures in her gemstone, but the artist decided this would be too difficult to draw consistently and chose to add cracks to her body instead. * Crackle Quartzes do not exist on Homeworld; Red Crackle Quartz chose her current name after noticing that her dyeing left her with cracks on her body. Gemstone Gemology * Crackle quartz is a type of treated quartz that has been subjected to rapid changes in temperature, causing cracks to form inside the crystal (hence, the name). ** Sometimes, natural quartz crystals display similar internal cracks. Since the cracks tend to create a "rainbow" effect, these naturally occuring crystals are often called aurora quartz or anandalite. * Crackle quartz is generally made from clear or milky quartz. However, the cracks make the crystals easier to dye, and for this reason crackle quartz appears in every color of the rainbow. * Metaphysically, crackle quartz is believed to promote inner strength and counter negativity. ** Red crackle quartz, as a red gemstone, is believed to promote love and courage. Category:Characters Category:Quartzes Category:Independents Category:Herkimer Diamonds Category:Ex-Crystal Gems Category:Off-Color Gems Category:Modified Gems Category:Era 1 Gems Category:White Diamond Gems Category:Red Colored Gems Category:Unknown Colony Gems Category:Dyed Gems Category:Gems of Unknown Status